BOSTON (AP) — So much of the chatter before Boston's first-round matchup with Milwaukee focused on who wouldn't be on the court for the Celtics.Injuries forced Kyrie Irving and Marcus Smart to join Gordon Hayward and Daniel Theis as spectators by the end of the regular season. It seemingly left the East's second seed vulnerable against a Bucks team boasting one of the league's most versatile scorers in All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo.It took seven games, but the Celtics got just enough from the healthy players left on their roster to hold off Milwaukee with a 112-96 victory on Saturday night .Now they'll turn their attention to Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid and another youth-led team in the Eastern Conference semifinals against Philadelphia."It's something we've had to go through all season," said rookie Jayson Tatum, who had 20 points on Saturday, becoming just the second rookie in Celtics' history to score 20 in a Game 7. "Some way, somehow, we figure it out. And I think that's what's unique... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward exchanged the kind of toothy giggles normally only found between kids on a playground when they were introduced as the new faces of the Celtics."It's about to be crazy, G," Irving said in the ear of Hayward to a soundtrack of clicking camera lenses as they sat on a dais back in September two days after Boston's blockbuster trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers.Seven months later, Irving has proven to be prophetic — albeit not how he had in mind.It has been crazy unlucky for the Celtics. Stunning too. Al Horford said even shocking.And though things haven't gone as scripted in Boston, the Celtics will open the playoffs at the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference believing they can win it all without their injured offseason acquisitions."Finals. I'm very confident," guard Terry Rozier when asked how far Boston can go. "Everybody has to be on the same page. And we just gotta play. And play hard."That's been Boston's calling card throughout the season.... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics have spent most of the season adjusting on the fly. Now they will have to go through the playoffs without Kyrie Irving.The star point guard will need surgery on his left knee and is done for season. On Thursday, the team put his recovery time at four to five months.Irving hasn't played since March 11 and says he won't dwell on what might have been."The hardest thing to do sometimes is accept the uncontrollable things life throws at you," he wrote in an Instagram post. "It's simply a test of your perseverance and will, to be present, even in the wake of what's going on."In the upcoming surgery, two screws will be removed. They were implanted after Irving's patellar fracture during the 2015 NBA Finals. Irving recently developed an infection at the site of the screws, and now they must be taken out.Following his original procedure last month, the team had said the knee was structurally sound and the kneecap healed, but the wire had been putting pressure on... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics have spent most of the season adjusting on the fly. Now they will have to go through the playoffs without Kyrie Irving.The star point guard will need surgery on his left knee and is done for season. The team on Thursday put his recovery time at four to five months.Irving hasn't played since March 11 and says he won't dwell on what might have been."The hardest thing to do sometimes is accept the uncontrollable things life throws at you," he wrote in an Instagram post. "It's simply a test of your perseverance and will, to be present, even in the wake of what's going on."In the upcoming surgery, two screws will be removed. They were implanted after Irving's patellar fracture during the 2015 NBA Finals. Irving recently developed an infection at the site of the screws, and now they must be taken out.Following his original procedure last month, the team had said the knee was structurally sound and the kneecap healed, but the wire had been putting pressure on the... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics will have to go through the playoffs without Kyrie Irving.The star point guard will need surgery on his left knee and miss the rest of the regular season and postseason. The team on Thursday put his recovery time at four to five months.Irving hasn't played since March 11 and says he won't dwell on what might have been."The hardest thing to do sometimes is accept the uncontrollable things life throws at you," he wrote in an Instagram post. "It's simply a test of your perseverance and will, to be present, even in the wake of what's going on."In the upcoming surgery, two screws will be removed. They were implanted after Irving's patellar fracture during the 2015 NBA Finals. Irving recently developed an infection at the site of the screws, and now they must be taken out.Following his original procedure last month, the team had said the knee was structurally sound and the kneecap healed, but the wire had been putting pressure on the knee.This is Irving's first... [More]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Celtics say All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving is set to have surgery Saturday to alleviate pain in his left knee.Irving has been out since March 11, missing the last four games. There is no timetable for his return from the "minimally invasive" procedure.Celtics coach Brad Stevens was asked before Boston's game in Portland on Friday night the ramifications of Irving's surgery."I don't know yet," Stevens said. "He's going to have it tomorrow and we'll know more about timelines after that."The knee is the same one that Irving injured in the 2015 NBA Finals that required surgery.Irving is averaging 24.4 points, 5.1 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game. Friday was his 26th birthday.He is one of several key sidelined players for Boston, which is at Portland on Friday. He joins Jaylen Brown (concussion protocol), Marcus Smart (thumb surgery), Daniel Theis (knee surgery, out for season) and Gordon Hayward (ankle surgery rehab).Stevens said the team will focus on its strengths... [More]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Celtics say All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving is set to have surgery Saturday to alleviate pain in his left knee.Irving has been out since March 11, missing the last four games. There is no timetable for his return from the "minimally invasive" procedure.Celtics coach Brad Stevens was asked before Boston's game in Portland on Friday night the ramifications of Irving's surgery."I don't know yet," Stevens said. "He's going to have it tomorrow and we'll know more about timelines after that."The knee is the same one that Irving injured in the 2015 NBA finals that required surgery.Irving is averaging 24.4 points, 5.1 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game. Friday was his 26th birthday.He is one of several key sidelined players for Boston, which is at Portland on Friday. He joins Jaylen Brown (concussion protocol), Marcus Smart (thumb surgery), Daniel Theis (knee surgery, out for season) and Gordon Hayward (ankle surgery rehab).Stevens said the team will focus on its strengths... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — The Celtics say All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving is set to have surgery Saturday to alleviate pain in his left knee.Irving has been out since March 11, missing the last four games.There is no timetable for his return, but the team says his status will be updated following the "minimally invasive" procedure.He is one of several key sidelined players for Boston, which is at Portland on Friday. He joins Jaylen Brown (concussion protocol), Marcus Smart (thumb surgery), Daniel Theis (knee surgery, out for season) and Gordon Hayward (ankle surgery rehab).___More NBA basketball: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics were without six players for their game against the Washington Wizards.The team said Wednesday that Kyrie Irving will sit out with a sore left knee. Al Horford will miss his second straight game with an illness. Jaylen Brown remains in the concussion protocol. Marcus Smart sprained his right thumb and is listed as out. Daniel Theis tore a ligament in his left knee and is out for the rest of the season.That's on top of Gordon Hayward, who has been out since opening night with a broken ankle.Jayson Tatum, who was listed as probable with tightness in his lower back, was able to play and started for the short-handed Celtics.___For more AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics will be without six players — and possibly seven — for their game against the Washington Wizards.The team said Wednesday that Kyrie Irving will sit out with a sore left knee. Al Horford will miss his second straight game with an illness. Jaylen Brown remains in the concussion protocol. Marcus Smart sprained his right thumb and is listed as out. Daniel Theis tore a ligament in his left knee and is out for the rest of the season.That's on top of Gordon Hayward, who has been out since opening night with a broken ankle.Jayson Tatum has tightness in his lower back and is listed as probable for the game.___For more AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

MIAMI (AP) — A month remains in the NBA season, and nothing is truly settled.The best team? To be determined.The worst team? Also to be determined.Playoff matchups? We're a long way from knowing any of those.Scoreboard-watching season has officially hit the NBA, with at least 18 teams realistically in playoff races and another seven teams still alive in the tanking-driven chase to have the best odds of winning the draft lottery. Every game matters to somebody, and the seedings battles — particularly for the No. 3 through No. 8 spots in both conferences — will almost certainly go down to the season's final days."I think fun is the right word," Washington coach Scott Brooks said. "It is fun. It's not fun if you're outside looking in and not in the NBA. That sucks. Been there before. But it's fun. Every night, it's a playoff atmosphere. You can go on a nice stretch and move yourself up in the standings, or you can go the other way and knock yourself out of the standings if you don't come to... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Celtics rookie Daniel Theis is likely out for the rest of the season with a torn meniscus in his left knee.Theis got hurt during the final minute of Boston's 99-97 loss to the Pacers on Sunday.Coach Brad Stevens told reporters Monday that the center is weighing his surgical options.Stevens says the team will need to adjust with Theis out. It recalled rookie Guerschon Yabusele from the G-League on Monday.Theis is averaging 5.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game this season.___More NBA basketball: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball